The Third Generation
by VGWrighte
Summary: What if it took more than seven years to get home? What if it actually took seventy years or more? The KarTech. An agressive race that has it out for Voyager, can Captain Tuvok keep the Third Generation alive long enough to get home? COMPLETE!
1. Prologue

**The Third Generation**

Disclaimer: I do not own the original cast, but most of the second and third generations belong to me, their names do not necessarily belong to me.

Note-What if there were no short cuts, no 'ten-year jumps'. Just conventional warp, it would take a long time to get home, correct?

**--------**

**Prologue**

**Main Characters**

**First Generation-**

Captain Kathryn Janeway-Deceased

Captain Chakotay-Deceased

Captain Tuvok-Acting Captain

Commander Tom Paris-First Officer

Commander B'Elanna Torres-Chief of Engineering

Commander Harry Kim-Senior OPS Officer

Commander Seven of Nine-Senior Astrometrics Officer

Commander Michael Ayala-Chief Tactical and Security Officer

The Doctor-Chief Medical Officer

Ambassador Neelix-Ambassador, Master Chef, and Senior Morale Officer

Commander Vorik-Deputy Chief of Engineering

**Second Generation-**

Lieutenant Commander Naomi Wildman-Deptuy Chief Medical Officer

Lieutenant Commander Icheb-Senior Stellar Cryptologist

Lieutenant Commander Miral Paris-Junior Engineer

Lieutenant Derek Kim-Junior OPS Officer-son of Harry Kim and Seven of Nine

Lieutenant Owen Paris-Senior Pilot-son of Tom Paris and B'Elanna Torres

Lieutenant Jason Ayala-Junior Security Officer-son of Michael Ayala and Megan Delaney

**Third Generation-**

Jared Ayala-15-son of Jason Ayala and Kate Parson

James Stevens-15-son of Andy Stevens and Naomi Wildman

Benjamin Stevens-15-son of Andy Stevens and Naomi Wildman

Jessica Stevens-14-daughter of Andy Stevens and Naomi Wildman

Carrie Kim-14-daughter of Derek Kim and Miral Paris

Cass Ayala-13-daughter of Jason Ayala and Kate Parson

Eric Paris-13-son of Owen Paris and Lucille Huntley

**--------**


	2. Chapter One Dearly Departed

**Chapter One--Dearly Departed**

**Year:2406**

"Today we are gathered to admire the life of a great woman. Kathryn Janeway was not only the greatest captain a crew could wish for, she was the greatest friend a man could ever hope to have.

"It is with a heavy heart that we say 'good-bye' to our fallen hero and we bravely look to the future in her wake and continue to be guided by her precedent and her spirit.

"We must always remember, and remember we shall, with every sip of coffee and every order to 'do it', the memory of Captain Kathryn Janeway. We know bid our final farewell to one of our greatest companions. Peace my friend."

Kathryn Janeway had captained Voyager for thirty-five years and Chakotay did now know if he was ready to try to fill her coffee mug.

**--------**

**Year: 2413**

"Although unsure of his abilities to Captain this crew, our dear friend and captain, Chakotay, lived up to what was expected of him and surpassed our hopes. We valiantly followed him for seven intrepid years to the Alpha Quadrant. Seven years closer to home and seven more years of remembrance.

"We will all miss his kindness and his gentle aggressiveness. He always strove for peace. We will follow the many examples Captain Chakotay set for us.

"And now, in the customs of his own people, we lay him to eternal rest. Ako-chi-moi-a. We are far from the bones of our ancestors. Father Kolopak, guide our Captain, your son, into the glory of his final resting place to watch over us, his family, and protect us from all of our fears." Tuvok became Captain that day and ended his eulogy with the quiet words of "Peace my friend."

--------

**Year: 2434**

**Mess Hall**

"Neelix, what is keeping you alive?" James asked the Master Chef.

The extremely old Talaxian chuckled. "Healthy living, I suppose."

"I don't believe you," James replied slyly. "What's your secret?" he insisted.

Neelix sighed and stared out onto the starry expanse out his window. "If I knew, I would have told everyone a long time ago. Maybe it could have saved The Captain, Chakotay, Tuvok, B'Elanna and the rest of them." Neelix suddenly felt very old as one of the three surviving members of the First Generation, including the Doctor.

**--------**


	3. Chapter Two Carrie Kim

**Chapter Two--Carrie Kim**

**Year: 2418**

**Derek and Miral's quarters-0756**

Carrie stood in loose black pants, a loose blue long-sleeve-shirt and a black vest with a back pack over her shoulder. She was average height for someone her age, but a little skinnier than average. She had almost black hair, crisp blue eyes, and subtle Klingon cranial ridges. She had been stopped by her mother calling her name. She turned slowly and bellowed back, "Ma! I'm gonna be late!"

Carrie's mother, Miral Paris, walked in adjusting her uniform jacket and hair. "Calm down, so am I." Miral put her hands on her daughter's shoulders. "I was once your age and . . ."

Carrie interrupted her mother with a heavy sigh.

Miral glared at Carrie before continuing. "All I meant to say was don't sass and be nice. Hold your temper and hold you tongue," Miral said gently.

"Did Dad tell you to say that?" Carrie raised her eyebrow at her mother.

"He might have," she confessed nonchalantly.

"Aha!" Carrie pointed at her mother.

Miral tapped her daughter's cheek lightly and turned her around, facing the door. "Get to class"

The next thing Carrie knew was that she was in the corridor outside her quarters and her mother was rushing the other way.

Carrie sighed and checked the ancient chronometer on her wrist and saw that she had four minutes to get class. She hitched up her back pack and jogged to the Mess Hall for a quick breakfast.

She hoped Neelix was in because he always had an orange waiting for her. If another Chef was in, she would lose precious time.

Carrie slowed from her jog and entered the Mess Hall, not short of breathe thanks to her third lung. Low and behold, the 'Kitchen Rat' was standing behind the counter.

"You're late," he said holding out the citrus fruit to her.

"You think I don't know that?" she responded blandly.

"Hold you tongue," Neelix shook his finger at her.

"Have you been talking to my Dad too?" she sounded almost genuine.

"Get to class." Neelix pointed to the door.

Carrie walked out, tearing the orange into bit-able pieces. She rushed to the nearest Turbo Lift and pressed the call button. Surprisingly she was greeted by her Grandfather.

"You're late," Tom said coolly.

"So are you," Carrie smiled at the old man. "Deck Four."

"Your mother told me that all the time."

"And now I am, oh." She smiled and wiped a fake tear from her eye and wrapped her arms around her grandfather. "Let's have a moment."

The door opened but Carrie did not let go. She began to laugh as Tom tried to pry her off of him.

"Get to class."

Carrie smirked. "Take it easy, Old Man." She jogged to Astrometrics.

"You're not kidding," Tom muttered,

**Astrometics-0805**

When Carrie arrived Seven was explaining some sort of solar phenomina that Carrie already amply understood.

"Carrie, you are late," Seven said bluntly.

"So I've been told."

"Perhaps you would be our first volunteer to demonstrate how to measure increased gamma emissions from a solar flare?"

Carrie smiled at the simplicity of her task. She stepped up to the console confidently.

**--------**


	4. Chapter Three Business as Usual

**Chapter Three--Business as Usual**

**Engineering-0806**

"Good morning, Mother." Miral greeted B'Elanna Torres as she walked into Engineering.

"You're late," B'Elanna said walking to a different console.

Miral followed her. "It's Dad's fault."

B'Elanna looked at her daughter with a playful scold.

"Indirectly," Miral added, B'Elanna smiled. "So what are we up to today?"

"Purging warp manifolds," B'Elanna replied wearily.

"Oh, fun," Miral said sarcastically.

**--------**

**Bridge-0814**

"I'm getting too old for this."

"You're too old?"

"_We're_ getting too old for this."

"What, exactly, are we getting too old for?"

Harry sighed. "A transporter malfunction, and internal sensor problems. We should be golfing and relaxing at a villa in the South of France."

"But we're stuck on a starship thirty-five years old without a break or refit. Don't worry Harry, she'll hold together." Tom affectionately stroked the bulkhead he was leaning on.

"I'm not worried about her not holding together, I'm worried about dying as the OPS officer on an Intrepid-class."

"At least you're not an ensign anymore." The old men laughed. "I ran into our granddaughter in the Turbo Lift this morning."

"She was late too?" Harry asked teasingly.

"What can I say? I'm contagious."

"No, you're hereditary. If you were contagious no one would be on time for anything." The old men laughed again. This time Owen turned and looked up from the CONN. Tom smiled at his son and thanked science that the baldness gene ran through maternal grandfather. He hoped Miral didn't have any boys.

"Hey, Old Man," Harry interrupted Tom's thoughts. "Want to grab a bite to eat tonight."

"Sure, we can double date."

"Nineteen hundred?"

"Sounds great. B'Elanna and I will be there." Tom walked back to his chair.

"If you're late, we're eating without you," Harry added.

**--------**

**Sickbay-0856**

"Naomi, have you done the analysis of the gaseous anomaly sent down yesterday?"

"I'm almost done, Doctor."

"How are you feeling this morning?" he asked. The Doctor thought of how Naomi was the first child he had brought into the world. Maybe not _this_ Naomi, but another Naomi. It felt the same to him and it felt all the same to Naomi; to Samantha, when she was alive; and to Neelix. The Doctor was happy that he had brought Naomi into the world and was now helping her with her fifth child.

Naomi's hand rested on her protruding stomach. "Nauseous, but alright."

"Lizzie has the record now, you've been nauseous nearly the entire pregnancy," the Doctor pointed out cheerily.

"I know," Naomi frowned.

**--------**

**Year: 2430**

**Sickbay**

"Jessica, baby number four. Fighting for the record with your mother?" the Doctor joked.

"I'm trying," she replied as she, with much effort, eased herself onto a bio-bed. "I guess I'm lucky I don't have the frequent waves of nausea," she relaxed on the bed.

"I won't be surprised if you do," the Doctor replied cheerily looking up from his PADD.

"Don't say that! You'll jinks me."

**--------**

**Year: 2418**

**Engineering-0943**

B'Elanna glanced at a console and noticed in a few minutes she would be surrounded by young children eager to learn about the exciting world of engineering. She remembered a time long before there were children on the ship; long before any of them dreamed of children. She supposed that was a perk of being 'First Generation', as they had been deemed by the 'Second Generation'.

**--------**

**Corridor-Deck Eleven-0957**

"So she told you to hold your tongue?"

"Yep," Carrie replied.

"And that's why you were late?" Jessica Stevens asked. She was a slightly older looking girl who was best friends with Carrie. They weren't very much alike, but they we on the same ship and that was enough.

"Yes," Carrie confirmed as they rounded another corner in the Labyrinth that was their ship.

"I don't believe you," Jessica said bluntly.

"Jessie! How could you doubt me?" Carrie was playfully taken back.

"Because you're always late whether your mom yells at you or not," Jessica answered casually.

"Okay, I might have been late, even if she didn't."

"There," Jessica put her arm over Carrie's shoulder, "doesn't it feel better now that you've told the truth?" she asked in false curiosity.

Carrie pushed Jessica's arm off her shoulder. The girls walked into Engineering laughing, alerting B'Elanna to their arrival. "You're not late!" B'Elanna exclaimed sarcastically.

"I'm only late for my first class of the day," Carrie corrected.

B'Elanna smiled at her granddaughter, who looked a lot like her. She had Tom's eyes, and her hair was close to black, like Harry's, but the face belonged to her; although the Klingon strength was a little subtler because of all the 'Human Blood'. "Are you ready for another day in the exciting world of Engineering?" B'Elanna asked cheerily.

"A lot more exciting than Astrometrics," Carrie replied gladly. Carrie and Jessica followed B'Elanna around the warp core, to a small table with a model of the Phoenix on it. They were soon joined by the rest of their class, Jared and Cass Ayala, Eric Paris, and James and Ben Stevens.

B'Elanna cleared her throat to get the teenagers attention. "Today we are going to discuss why Engineering is the best place on the ship."

"Oh, ha ha," James and Benjamin replied in unison, a creepy feature that the twins always got right. They were not amused with the same opening joke B'Elanna used every class period.

"No, really. Let's get some real work done; because last class was wasted on the finer theories of early warp development," she looked to Carrie, then to Jared, and back to Carrie.

**--------**


	5. Chapter Four The KarTech

**Chapter Four--The KarTech**

**Bridge-1032**

"Captain to the Bridge," Tom said calmly walking from Harry to in front of his chair.

Tuvok walked onto the Bridge from the ready-room that had once belonged to Captains Janeway and Chakotay.

"Report, Commander."

"They've found us again, the KarTech."

"How many ships?"

"Three, a scout, and two destroyers," Harry answered.

"Raise shields, Mr. Paris, evasive maneuvers. Tuvok to all hands, Battle Stations."

The Bridge shook causing Tom and Tuvok to loose their balance, but they both recovered quickly, used to the sensation.

"Disrupter blast, shields at ninety-seven percent and falling!" Harry shouted above the confusion.

"Mr. Ayala, return fire," Tuvok ordered calmly.

**--------**

**Engineering-1034**

B'Elanna used a railing to support herself after the ship shook again. "Alright! Kids, get out of here! You know the drill!"

The students turned and headed for the Mess Hall. They knew the drill all to well. Their job was to be the emergency medics. They all began to ran out but an explosion behind them stopped them. B'Elanna and two engineers lay unconscious on the floor.

"Stretchers! Let's go!" Carrie ordered. The others rushed over, getting strechteres from the wall compartments. They loaded the three engineers and got out of the other busy engineers' way.

"Computer, site to site transport!" Carrie yelled over the commotion.

"Transporters are down," the Computer calmly responded.

"Damn!"

"Carrie, what do we do?" Jessica asked.

"I'm thinking," she looked around for a moment, "Turbo lifts! One at a time. Right to the Mess Hall, set up once you get there. Ben and James, you two first. Jess, Cass, and Jared, you next. Eric and I will follow with my grandmother! Let's move!"

Jessica leaned to Carrie. "This is ludicrous," she whispered in her ear.

"Do you have a better idea?" Carrie asked.

Benjamin and James were gone in just a few seconds. Jess, Cass, and Jared followed with their 'patient'. Carrie and Eric waited a moment for the next Turbo Lift arrive. The tightened the elderly, far-from-frail, woman down. The put her upright and set her up in the Turbo Lift. "Deck two."

Carrie anxiously counted the decks. The Turbo Lift lurched between decks two and three. "You have got to be kidding me!" she yelled angrily at the computer.

Carrie then saw Eric lying on the floor, unconscious. "He must have hit his head," she said to herself. Carrie stood in the Turbo Lift, not knowing what to do. Pacing kept her calm, but alas, she had no room to pace.

Carrie looked up. An evil grin spread her face, with a crazy idea spreading her mind. Using the walls for support she got her feet onto the small crevasses in the walls. She opened the top of the Lift and climbed topside. She pried the door open to Deck Two. Carrie braced her legs above the Turbo Lift and grabbed the top of the stretcher her heaved her unconscious grandmother out.

After must effort and struggling, Carrie pushed the starched out onto the corridor floor of Deck Two. She jumped back into the Lift careful not ot land on her counsin. Carrie grabbed his hand and one handedly climbed out of the Turbo Lift and placed him next to his grandmother. Holding Eric over shoulders and the top end of the stretcher, Carrie slowly made her way to the Mess Hall. Jessica, Ben and James met her halfway.

"Carrie!" Ben and James shouted.

"Let us help." Jessica and Carrie took a shoulder of Eric and his feet dragged behind, while the twins got the stretcher.

"I really could have used you guys a couple of minutes ago, stuck between two decks with two unconscious bodies."

The Stevens' were shocked as they carried the two crewmen into the Mess Hall and set them up on cots, and assessed the condition of each of the many patients arriving.

**--------**

**Bridge-1048**

"Captain, the last KarTech vessel has been destroyed!" Harry shouted triumphantly.

"All stop, stand down Red Alert."

"Mr. Paris, begin damage assessment and repair assignments."

"Aye, Sir." Tom sat down and took a deep breath. Tuvok exited the Bridge to his Ready-Room, looking tired.

**--------**

**Mess Hall-1048**

The Doctor walked into the Mess Hall briskly. "Report." He looked around at the many bodies before him.

"A huge mess," Carrie replied as she scanned yet another new arrival.

"That is why it is the Mess Hall," the Doctor joked as he joined her.

**--------**


	6. Chapter Five The Aftermath

**Chapter Five--The Aftermath**

**Derek and Miral's Quarters-1223**

Tom walked into his granddaughter's bedroom and sat on the side of the bed.

Carrie was lying on her side, facing the other war.

"I'm proud of you," Tom started.

Carrie sighed.

"Come here," Tom said, patting the bed next to him.

"What?" Carrie asked, turning to him.

"Put that book down, and come sit by Grandpa a bit."

Carrie closed her book and crawled around her bed to sit next to the ancient man.

Tom put his arm around her. "You get your strength and courage from her. I guess you have Harry's willingness to help, and Seven's intelligence, and you get your-"

"Fetish for cars," she finished for him.

Tom smiled. "Your inventiveness and sense of humor from me." He paused. "Way to go, and thank you."

Carrie wrapped her arms around the old man, genuinely wanted to be held and comforted now. He wrapped his arms around her. Tom gently kissed her forehead, the forehead that reminded him of B'Elanna.

"We have to look out for our own."

"Captain Janeway said that all the time," Tom smiled at Carrie's wisdom.

"I wish I knew her," Carrie said earnestly.

"She was one of the best people I have ever met." Tom stared out the window for a moment, looking into the past. He sighed and looked at Carrie, into the future. "Your Grandmother wants to see you, she's in Sickbay." Tom stood. "Come on, I'll walk you."

They walked out, hand in hand.

**--------**

**Ready Room-1223**

"The hull has sustained heavy damage. We have fourteen hull breaches, force fields are holding. There's engine troubles, and the shields are off-line, and that's the basic problems."

"Mr. Kim, we will have a staff meeting tomorrow morning at 0800, inform the appropriate personnel. Dismissed."

"Yes, Sir."

**--------**

**Sickbay-1231**

"Doctor, I feel fine. I have to get to Engineering."

The Doctor stopped B'Elanna from standing. "Commander, you have suffered a severe concussion and several third-degree plasma burns. You are lucky you can sit upright. You are NOT fine!"

Carrie walked in.

"Just the person I wanted to see. Carrie, tell your grandmother she is in no condition for work," the Doctor insisted.

"Carrie, tell this Holographic Oaf that I am fine!" B'Elanna looked harshly at the Doctor.

"You look fine to me," Carrie replied nonchalantly.

"Traitor," the Doctor muttered. "I have to check on someone, you had better be here when I get back," he snapped at B'Elanna.

"He's serious, isn't he?" Carrie asked joining the elderly Klingon on a bio-bed.

"I think I did that to him," B'Elanna said proudly.

Carrie smiled in admiration.

"That was quite a stunt you pulled today. It's because down deep you're a Torres, and we're a hell of a lot stronger than those 'Kims'." Carrie nudged B'Elanna's shoulder.

"I won't tell them you said that."

"Cause we take care of our own."

"That's what I told Grandpa."

"See, a Torres."

**--------**


	7. Chapter Six Recration As Usual

**Chapter Six--Recreation as Usual**

**Tom and B'Elanna's Quarters-1850**

"Honestly Tom, you're worse than the Doctor."

Tom stood in front of B'Elanna. "There's no need to insult me. I just love you more than the Doctor does." Tom put his hand on her shoulder, and looked at her with his puppy dog eyes.

"Harry's expecting us," she sighed avoiding the penetrating glance of his gray eyes.

"I canceled," he said bluntly.

"And I said, 'No matter what Tom says, we'll be there.' Who do you think he'll believe?" she rose her eyebrow in mock speculation.

"You're staying right here." Tom stood as tall and as firm as he could.

"I can still break your nose, Old Man." B'Elanna stood her ground confidently.

Tom lowered his brow and looked at B'Elanna moment. She cracked her knuckles and her neck. Tom jumped aside. "After you, Dear."

B'Elanna smiled at her small triumph and walked out the door.

**--------**

**Holo-Deck One-1850**

Carrie lie on her back under a false Caribbean sun. Jessica was nearly at the helm of the sail-boat. "This is how you relax?" Carrie ask unbelieving.

"Great, isn't it?" Jessica replied.

"It's so boring, we need some exhilaration."

"Basketball?" Cass hopefully offered, she being an athletic person, jumped up from her book reading.

"Orbital diving!" Jared added as he drove into the sea off the main mast.

"Movie theatre?" James hoped.

"Walking on the pier?" Ben suggested.

Eric shook his head. "The highway," he corrected with a smile.

"Ding, ding, ding," Carrie said imitating a 'game show buzzer' as her grandfather claimed it. "We have a winner. Computer program Carrie2."

The large sail boat vanished and was replaced by a long paved road in the middle of a desert plain. On the road were two 1967 Corvette convertibles.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, relaxation," she said with a sweep of her arm.

Carrie hopped into one, followed by Jessica and Cass. Eric, Jared and the twins boarded the second.

"Somebody say 'Go'!" Carrie yelled as she threw the car into gear.

"Three, two, one, GO!" Jessica counted down and in an instant the two cars were off speeding down the long stretch of land.

"Isn't this great?" she yelled as the wind blew by.

After a few miles, Carrie slowed to a slower speed and drove a bit more leisurely.

"This is fantastic," Jessica said sarcastically as she picked her hair out of her mouth.

**--------**

**Harry and Seven's Quarters-1858**

"Harry, can you get that?" Seven called as she pulled the roasted chicken from the replicator.

Harry walked to the door. "B'Elanna! Oh, I see you brought Tom." Harry laughed as he ushered them in.

"B'Elanna, how do you feel?" Seven asked, standing next to Harry in a much more modest outfit than she wore in her younger years.

"Hungry," she replied with a shrug.

Tom's eyes lit up, "Let's eat."

**--------**

**Holo-Deck One-1900**

Carrie sat up on the deck. "Remind me; Why did we vote for this?" she asked as they were in the same sailing simulation as before.

"Because, your idea sucked," Jessica answered bluntly.

Carrie smiled to herself and laid back on the deck as Cass and Jared took turns jumping from the main mast. Eric was relaxing next to Carrie and James and Ben lie on one of the sail supports.

"At least with my idea, we were going somewhere."

**--------**

**Harry and Seven's Quarters-1932**

"Delicious, Seven," Tom complemented, wiping his mouth for the final time of the meal.

"Thank you, the replicator did well," Seven joked, as she had gotten better at her jokes over the years.

"How is Carrie fairing?" Harry asked. "She had quite an ordeal today."

"She's overwhelmed," B'Elanna replied, dropping her napkin on her plate.

"She must get that from you, 'Ensign' Kim," Tom joked.

"Hey, I haven't been an ensign in . . . almost forty years." Harry was taken back by his own response. "Is that right?"

"Thirty-eight years," Seven corrected with her same Borg-like accuracy.

"Does anyone else feel very old right now?" Tom asked quietly.

The other three nodded and the First Generation sat in silence realizing just how long it had been, and just how far they had come.

"When our time is over, will we be remembered for being 'old'?" Seven asked with a hint of fear in her tone.

"I hope not, my friend. I hope to Kahlass, not."

**--------**


	8. Chapter Seven Staff Meeting

**Chapter Seven--Staff Meeting**

**Briefing Room-0800**

"Engine status," Tuvok stated as a question.

"Thrusters and Impulse engines are ready to go. But Matter/Anti-Matter reaction in down, we're on it. Until I know why, I don't have an estimate."

"Continue with your efforts. Weapons."

"Phaser banks are at four percent, I have a few teams on it. We have two photon torpedoes and twenty-seven trinatic torpedoes. The new trinatic torpedoes are working well with our firing systems. I am personally working on manufacturing photon torpedoes.

"Very well, Mr. Ayala. Sensors?"

Seven spoke. "Short Range sensors are above standard but the Long Range and Astrometric sensors are going to need much more attention and we have a few teams working on the problem. According to our available data there is an K-Class nebula and a binary system with eight planets, two of which are M-Class and inhabited."

"What do we know about this system?" Tuvok looked around the table.

"The fifth planet is called Gheta," Tom said. "I have been in contact with an Ambassador Carmen. He says that he can help us. They are enemies with the KarTech as well. He also gave me a list of systems and men on our way that will be willing to help us."

"Set a course for Gheta." Owen nodded. "In the meantime, food supplies."

"We are amply stocked and ready to go. Morale is high despite our KarTech troubles. I believe that shore leave will be a good thing for the crew once we reach Gheta, I'll be happy to make a schedule." Neelix chuckled.

"Very good, Mr. Neelix, make you schedule. Repairs?"

Harry cleared his throat. "Life support, and transporters are up. The Doctor's emitters are on-line. We have two remaining hull breaches that are being repairs as we speak. Emergancy force-fields are holding. The shields are still down, but we're working on it. The deflector will be on-line within the hour."

"Very well, Mr. Kim. Doctor, casualties."

"We have a few serious injuries, but nothing I can't handle." The Doctor smiled. "The Mess Hall will be full for the next few days, as we send the non-critical patients on their way. There were no deaths and mostly minor injuries, but a few major injuries such as concussions, plasma burns, things of that nature." The Doctor gritted his teeth as he looked at B'Elanna. "Things that would keep one in bed, don't you think so Commander Torres!"

B'Elanna glared at her holo-graphic co-worker.

"Thank you, Doctor," Tuvok said interrupted the brewing argument. "Any other business?"

"Miral and Derek have been working on an emergency transporter system for getting injured people to Sickbay when the transporters are down. They want permission to begin more extensive tests," Tom informed the staff.

"Now is not the best situation for experimental devices, we will delay their tests until the ship is repaired and well enough for another battle, and we currently need all hands."

"Yes, Sir," Tom nodded in agreement.

"If that is all, dismissed."

The Senior Staff slowly stood with aching knees and bad backs; all except The Doctor and Owen.

**--------**


	9. Chapter Eight Thoughts

**Chapter Eight--Thoughts**

**Tuvok's Quarters-1016**

"Captain, dear Captain. I could use your advice now," Tuvok spoke into the darkness. "I don't know what to do. I'm having a war with a species for a trade disagreement and you made an alliance with the Borg." Tuvok didn't know why he spoke into the lonely darkness.

Tuvok couldn't remember being afraid before. He spent more and more time meditating to make the feeling pass, but it did not pass. He felt scared and alone; it made him feel like a child.

Tuvok didn't even feel like a child when he was a child.

This disturbed him.

**--------**

**Tom and B'Elanna's Quarters-1016**

"B'Elanna, do you ever feel old?" Tom asked his wife as he sat on the couch staring into the darkness.

"Tom, what's bothering you?" she asked sympathetically. B'Elanna joined him on the couch.

"Realizing that we've been on this ship for fifty years makes me realize how old I really am. Will we be forgotten? Has Captain Janeway already been forgotten; only remembered by us old fools? I'm afraid we won't be remembered for what we once were," he confessed quietly.

"I know, I feel the same," B'Elanna admitted as she leaned on him.

They sat in the dark, feeling afraid and disturbed by their thoughts.

**--------**

**Deck Four Corridor-1016**

Carrie wandered the ship. She was smiling even though she was exhausted. She felt happy and important. She knew how everyone felt, even though most of them didn't say anything. She knew that everyone was filled with feelings of gratefulness, amazement, excitement, and pride. They were all one family and when someone did something good, everyone felt it.

Carrie was proud of her family. She felt really like a family now. This made her feel good.

**--------**


	10. Chapter Nine The KarTech: Round Two

**Chapter Nine--The KarTech: Round Two**

**Deck Four Cooridor-1017**

The smiled was wiped clean off her face when the ship lurched and she was thrown against a wall.

The ship went dark for a moment and the Red Alert klaxons blared.

"Battle stations," Captain Tuvok's voice echoed through the hall.

"Damn!" Carrie ran to the Mess Hall, to wait for the casualties she knew were coming.

**--------**

**Bridge-1018**

"Trinatic Torpedoes!" Tom yelled to Michael Ayala, at Tactical.

"It's a scout class, only one." Harry checked his sensors in disbelief. "They sent one scout to destroy us?" Harry was grateful for this, insulted, but grateful.

"Fire at will, evasive pattern alpha."

The scout class vessel was destroyed in almost no time, but with no shields Voyager took a beating. The screen was filled with an explosion and Tom fell back into his chair, relieved.

"Damage reports on my desk within the hour," Tuvok ordered leaving the Bridge to his Ready Tom.

"Alright, you heard him. Let's assess the damage."

**--------**


	11. Chapter Ten More Aftermath

**Chapter Ten--More Aftermath**

**Holo-Deck Two-1220**

"It's bad, isn't it?" Jessica asked.

"Yeah, I went into Engineering and things were exploding and relays were fried. It looked like a warzone."

"It is a war zone," Ben corrected.

"I heard the starboard nacelle is just about falling off and Turbo Lifts are down below Deck Ten," James said.

"We have eighteen hull breaches," Eric added.

"So, yeah, I'd say its pretty bad," Carrie concluded.

Jessica leisurely steered the tall sailboat around a small island in the Tropical Seas of Bajor.

Carrie was dozing on the deck after a long two hours of working in the Mess Hall. The warm sun felt good on her skin, it wasn't a real sun, but it still felt just the same to her, though her grandpa said he could tell the difference. Benjamin and James were sitting on the main deck playing chess. Cass and Eric quietly discussed the latest gossip on the ship, and Jared fished off the side of the ship.

**--------**

**Briefing Room-1220**

"We have to do something!" B'Elanna shouted impatiently.

"We are doing 'something', Commander," Tuvok answered calmly.

"Then we have to do something else! Because what we're doing now isn't working!" B'Elanna responded hotly. "How do I know! Well for starters, there's a giant hole in the Turbo Shaft above Engineering! causing Lifts to be out below Deck Ten. There's a torpedo sticking out of a wall on Deck 12! I'm about to duct tape that starboard nacelle on!" Tom smiled at his wife's use of the term 'duct tape'. "And! AND Deck Four has completely decompressed!"

"B'Elanna," Tom said quietly, pulled his wife into her seat. He put his hand on hers. She drummed her fingers impatiently. "I've gotten permission to land on Gheta. They can help us with repairs."

"Lieutenant Paris," Tuvok said speaking to Owen, "best speed to Gheta."

"Don't think about warp, the starboard nacelle will fall off," B'Elanna said sharply.

"How far to Gheta?"

"At Impulse, twenty-two days."

"We need warp engines, B'Elanna," Tuvok said.

B'Elanna sighed with anger. "I'll think of something."

"Dismissed."

**--------**

**Engineering**

**30 Minutes Later-1250**

"Hmm," Tom exhaled.

Tom and Harry paced as B'Elanna fiddled with an instrument. Seven, Miral, Owen, Vorik, and Icheb stood in random places around a small area in Engineering. There were thought wrinkles forming on all of their brows.

Harry stopped in his tracks. "Slugs!" he announced triumphantly.

"What?" B'Elanna breathed angrily, furious that Harry was thinking of slugs at a time like this.

"Remember when we were working on the Warp 10 barrier?"

"Harry," Tom whined, "why do you always have to bring up the slugs?"

"Because it's the best part of the story." He smiled giddily.

"Harry, just go," Tom said.

"We thought that the nacelles were being ripped from the ship, but the ship was being ripped from the nacelles!" he explained.

"I do not see the connection," Vorik commented, trying to make heads or tails of the story.

"It's not the problem, it's the solution!" B'Elanna stood. "Harry, you're a genius!" She slapped him on the back and got to work.

**--------**


	12. Chapter Eleven The Twins

**Chapter Eleven--The Twins**

**Naomi Wildman and Andy Stevens' Quarters-1700**

"Where are you two off to?" Naomi asked her sons as they walked towards the door together.

"Mess Hall," "Cargo Bay," they answered overlapping each other and turning to face their advancing parents.

"Cooking and basketball, I presume?" Andy Stevens joined his wife in the living area as a united front.

"No, poisoning and galactic domination," Benjamin said with a straight face.

"Don't you two have homework?" Naomi asked, ignoring his comment.

"We'll do it after dinner," the Twins responded in unison.

Andy and his wife smiled. "Be back at 1830," she gently ordered.

"We know," the boys replied with annoyance already out the door.

**--------**

**Mess Hall-1706**

"What are we having tonight, Neelix?" James asked as he entered the galley and put on an apron.

"Plecterine Casserole with Leola Root," Neelix replied with a big smile.

James shuddered at the sound of the vegetable. "Why ruin such a wonderful dish?" he complained.

"Come on, we have over two hundred crewman to feed." Neelix handed James a knife and a Leola Root.

**--------**

**Cargo Bay One-1708**

The large room had basketball hoops attached to opposite walls and court lines on the floor. Benjamin, Jared, Carrie and Cass split themselves into two teams; boys verses girls.

Benjamin dribbled the replicated ball a few times and passed it to Carrie. "To ten, check."

Carrie smiled and passed the ball back to him.

**--------**

**Mess Hall-1716**

Why do we have to add Leola Root to everything? It's so disgusting!" James cringed with revulsion as he cut the odd roots.

"Because it's good for you. Mother always said 'Eat your vegetables,'" Neelix responded cheerily, tasting the root and cringing with its bitterness.

"You may be right, but I don't think _my_ mother would want me eating too much of these vegetables." James poured them into the large boiling pot.

"You'll learn to love it," Neelix answered as his cheery old self.

"Did your mother say that too?" James asked as a joke.

**--------**

**Cargo Bay One-1812**

"Four games to two. We're winning," Carrie taunted with a smile.

"Just check the ball," Ben demanded with annoyance.

"I don't know if Jared could take the embarrassment of losing to his little sister again," Carrie said sarcastically.

"Just check the ball!" the other players yelled at her.

With a laugh, Carrie threw the ball.

**--------**

**Outside Andy Stevens and Naomi Wildman's Quarters-1823**

"How'd it go?" James asked Benjamin as they met back up.

"We lost, again. If Jared could just get his jump shot!" he sighed. "Anything good in the kitchen?"

"No, just more Leola Root."

"Fun," he responded with sarcasm.

The Twins walked into their quarters and joined their parents at the dinner table. They unexcitedly told their parents about their day. Which was, besides the battle, unexciting.

**--------**


	13. Chapter Twelve Gheta

**Chapter Twelve--Gheta**

**The Next Day 1500**

"First Officer's Log. It's been a day and we're approaching Gheta at impulse. We expect to be there within the hour. They promise us a landing permit and assistance with much needed repair.

"B'Elanna says there are major problems with the starboard nacelle. Although it is temporarily attached to the ship we could not exceed warp five point seven four. She says that we may never be able to get past warp seven point four again.

"This is going to add years to our journey. Not that it matters much to me anymore."

---------

**Year: 2381**

**Briefing Room**

A very young Tom sat in his chair in the Briefing Room.

Captain Janeway sat at the head of the table. "We know that the Aritleans have the dilithium we need and they aren't going to be very cooperative when we ask them for it. So we need a contingency plan."

"Captain, I don't think that we can afford any more enemies. We should be as nice as possible and try to get these supplies without a violent upset," Tom stated his concerns, as his daughter was young and he had to be careful.

Everyone stared at Tom in awe. They were surprised at the suggestion.

The Captain leaned back in her chair. "Why, Mr. Paris, you've mellowed out," she said slightly surprised and delighted.

"Don't ever say that to me again," he said blandly, not in disrespect.

**--------**

**Year: 2418**

**Bridge-1548**

"Captain to the Bridge." Tom stood from his chair and waited fort Tuvok to join him on the Bridge. Tom looked out onto the planet before him. It appeared similar to Earth, much greener, and with smaller oceans. There were several large spaces that you could see were massive metropolises.

"Report," Tuvok ordered as he walked to stand in front of his chair, next to Tom.

"Welcome to Gheta," Tom said dramatically with a random arm gesture to the view screen. "We're in a synchronous orbit and I was about to hail them."

"Proceed, Commander." Tuvok stood still and watched Tom step forward and take the lead.

"Opening a channel," Harry replied as he looked at the view screen.

A tall man with a pale face and blue tone hair appeared. He smiled widely. His red eyes beamed at Tuvok, attempting to read his face, seeing none he turned to Tom. "ComMANder PaRIS!" the man shouted at the screen.

"AmBASSaDOR CarMen!" Tom yelled back with similar emphasis.

"I AM OVERJOYED THAT YOU HAVE FINALLY PERFECTED THE GREETING, MY PEACHY FRIEND!" the Ambassador yelled.

Tom smiled to himself. "I thought I shouldn't sound like a total idiot in front of my crew," Tom replied in a normal speaking voice while motioning to Harry to turn down the volume to spare what little hearing the First Generation had left.

Ambassador Carmen roared with laughter. "WELL, ENOUGH CHATTING LIKE OLD WOMEN! WE HAVE WORK TO DO! I'M SENDING YOU CORRINATES! LET'S GET TO WORK!"

"We are grateful for your hospitality."

"NOT AS GRATEFUL AS WE! WITH SUCH A POWERFUL STARSHIP AS YOURS AND OUR LARGE FLEET! THE KarTech DON'T STAND A CHANCE! HAHAHA! CarMEN OUT!"

The COMM channel ended and the Bridge crew rubbed their ears. "That man is LOUD!" Harry exclaimed.

Tom chuckled. "I guess I should have told you that."

"Probably," Tuvok commented. "Tuvok to Engineering."

"Torres here."

"Is it safe to land?"

B'Elanna thought for a quick second. "We should be fine."

"Should?" Tom wondered aloud.

"Tuvok to all hands, Code Blue. Report to Code Blue stations."

"Vent all plasma from the nacelles," Tom instructed his son. Owen nodded.

"All decks report Code Blue status," Harry announced.

"Alright, Owen, take us down," Tom said.

Owen sighed heavily and pressed a few of the many buttons at his station. The lights around him were blue and the klaxons lightly sounded around him. He blinked intentionally to clear the fuzz from his vision. Owen started the ship down. He had never done this before, but he had landed shuttles and practiced on the Holo-Deck. He hoped that would be enough.

Owen blinked again to clear the increasing fuzz. 'Don't get nervous,' he told himself, 'you'll do just fine.' For a moment he believed himself.

That moment ended when he hit the ground shaking.

With no pilot, Voyager lost its heading and plunged towards the surface in a nose dive.

Tom dashed to the CONN and attempted to pull Voyager out of the dive.

"Twenty seconds to impact!" Harry warned from his station.

"I need thrusters!" As power increased Tom eased Voyager out of the dive. "Extending landing struts. Paris to all hands, brace for impact." The struts extended and Voyager landed with a light thud. Once she was secure Tom dropped to the ground, next to his son. "Owen," he said looking into his son's dazed eyes.

Owen looked up at his father, or rather the swirling blur that he thought was his father. He blinked a few times, but the image got worse. Owen could not find his sense of reality. He only saw swirling blue lights. He could not hear the klaxons and he felt sick to his stomach. He continued to shake and felt very cold.

Tom hit his chest. "Paris to Sickbay, Medical Emergency! Paris to Transporter Room One, two to beam directly to Sickbay!" Tom looked down at his son as he dematerialized and he looked up at the Doctor as they rematerialized.

"What happened?" The Doctor asked as he grabbed a tri-corder and scanned Owen as the medics lifted him onto a bio-bed.

"He just fell out of his chair, shaking, and he couldn't answer me. I don't know what happened."

"Hmm," the Doctor thought.

"You don't know what's wrong with him, do you?"

The Doctor shook his head. "No, I don't."

"Tom to Lu, report to Sickbay."

**--------**


	14. Chapter Thirteen The Disease

**Chapter Thirteen--The Disease**

**Sickbay-1608**

Lucille Huntley calmly entered Sickbay, unaware of what she would soon see. She almost immediately saw why she had been summoned. Lu rushed to the side of the bio-bed where her husband lie unconscious. She gripped his hand tightly and stared into his cold, unconscious face. "What happened?" she breathed.

"He's going to be fine. The Doctor's working on it."

"What happened?" she asked again.

"He collapsed on the Bridge. From what I can tell there is no internal or external injuries. I believe that his brain shut down its higher functions, forcing him into a coma. I don't know why, but I will find out," The Doctor said, reassuring her.

Lu seemed somewhat relieved, but also very concerned. She threw herself at Tom, crying. He wrapped his arms around her and patted her back gently.

After a moment, she backed away. "What am I doing?" she asked herself aloud. "He's going to be fine," she told herself. Lucille headed towards the door.

"Lu," Tom reached out to her. "I have to get back to work," he lied. "Why don't you stay here with him?"

She smiled, content with the suggestion. She pulled a stool up next to Owen, and sat down, staring at his comatose face.

Tom walked out of Sickbay. He headed towards his quarters; he thought B'Elanna would be there. She said she would meet him at 1630. He was a little early, so he thought he would wait for her to get back from Engineering.

**--------**

**Tom and B'Elanna's Quarters-1619**

"B'Elanna?" Tom called as he walked into their quarters. "B'Elanna?" He looked around for her briefly. He concluded that she wasn't there yet. He shrugged and sat down on the couch and turned on the television.

Tom watched for about fifteen minutes, then looked around, distracted. "Where is she?" he asked himself aloud. "Tom to B'Elanna." He waited for her to respond. "B'Elanna, please respond." There was no answer. "Computer, locate B'Elanna Torres."

"B'Elanna Torres is in her quarters," the Computer answered.

Tom rocked off the couch at escape velocity, most likely straining a muscle. But he didn't care. "B'Elanna!" Tom ran through their quarters as fast as his bad knee would take him, looking frantically for his wife.

He found her sprawled on the floor of their bedroom. "Paris to Sickbay, Medical Emergency. Paris to Transporter Room One, two to beam directly to Sickbay!" He grabbed B'Elanna as they dematerialized. He watched her face rematerialize and he helped the medics lift her onto a bio-bed.

"What happened?" Naomi asked.

"I don't know, I just found her." Tom looked over at the other bio-bed, containing his son. It suddenly occurred to Tom that he had no idea where is daughter was. "Tom to Miral." He waited, but no response. "Miral, this is your father, please respond." There was no response. "Computer, locate Miral Paris."

"Miral Paris is in Turbo Lift Four."

"Site to site. Beam Miral directly to Sickbay."

Miral materialized on the floor of Sickbay, unconscious. The medics lifted her onto the third bio-bed.

**--------**

**2389**

**Uninhabited Planet**

"Hey, Harry! Come look at this!" Tom yelled and waved his arm for Harry to join him.

A young, black-haired, Harry Kim walked over. "Tom, I have to keep scanning for terelium."

"Look," Tom pointed to a small primate playing below the thirteen foot cliff they were standing on.

"Wow, a monkey," Harry said sarcastically, walking back to where he was working.

Tom smiled at the creature and decided to slide down the steep cliff to look at it.

"AHHHH!"

Harry turned and saw a cloud of dust rise from where Tom had been standing, "TOM!" he yelled. He ran over and slid down the slope swiftly. "Tom, are you alright?"

"My knee," he groaned, gently holding his right knee.

"Kim to Voyager, two to beam directly to Sickbay."

--------

"Congratulations, Mr. Paris," the Doctor smiled. "You shattered your right patella."

"My knee cap?" Tom asked in a 'bummed out' tone.

"Yes, I doubt it'll ever be the same."

**--------**

**2418**

**Sickbay-1900**

"Chief Medical Officer's Log. About three hours ago, three patients were brought to Sickbay with the same symptoms. They are all comatose at the moment, for reasons I do not know.

"As I research the cause of the problem more, I am going to inform the Captain of their condition. There is one thing that I do know: There is one similarity between all of the patients. They're all Klingon."

**--------**


	15. Chapter Fourteen More Patients

**Chapter Fourteen--More Patients Means More Doctors**

**Corridor outside Sickbay-1920**

"What do you mean I'm in 'mortal danger'?" Carrie asked as Tom and Derek pushed her to Sickbay.

"There is an epidemic sweeping through the Klingon members of this crew, and we want to get you to Sickbay before you fall into a coma like your mother, uncle, and grandmother," Tom explained.

"I feel fine," she answered.

"That's just B'Elanna's stubbornness talking," Tom replied with a smile; despite the gravity of the situation.

They walked into Sickbay and Carrie sighed.

"Carrie!" the Doctor sounded excited. "My first patient today not beamed in by your grandfather," he joked with a smile. "How do you feel?"

"Annoyed," she replied dryly, taking s seat on the empty bio-bed.

"No need to be sarcastic," the Doctor gently scolded her.

"I learn from the best," she muttered under her breath.

The Doctor glared at her as he scanned her. "I am going to have to run some tests."

Carrie sighed again as Eric was pushed in by his own worried parent, Lucille.

**--------**

**Sickbay-2000**

"I believe that Carrie and Eric's human DNA is fighting off what has affected the others. I am taking close looks at what is going on inside them to find out what is going on in the others and how to treat it," the Doctor explained to Tuvok.

"Very well, Doctor. Keep me informed." Tuvok nodded to the Doctor. "Dismissed." The Doctor turned and left.

**--------**

**Corridor outside Sickbay-Following Day-0900**

Security escorted three pale seven-foot men to Sickbay. They all wore red lab coasts, each of them had their names embroidered onto the breast with a symbol beneath it, indicating their medical profession.

"Gentlemen, welcome to Sickbay. I am the Doctor," the Doctor said cheerily as the towering men watched their heads as they carefully walked through the doorway.

"THANK YOU FOR THE HOSPITALITY ABOARD YOUR SHIP! WE APPRECIATE SUCH AN OPPURTUNITY TO EXPAND OUR MEDICAL KNOWLEDGE!" the eldest doctor yelled in gratitude. "I AM DOCTOR TALEN!"

A doctor looking approximately forty, human, years stepped forward. He had a full blue mustache and beard. "I AM DOCTOR KOHMAR!"

The youngest Doctor, with a large scar above his right eye, stepped forward. He bowed slightly, "I AM DOCTOR SEIVOM!"

"People just call me 'Doctor'." The Doctor smiled. "I understand you have read some of our data on Klingons . . ."

**--------**

**Sickbay-1200**

"Hello, Doctor," Naomi said habitually walking into Sickbay. She jumped, and screamed, at the sight of the three giants before her.

"Naomi! May I introduce you to Ghetan Doctors Talen, Kohmar, and Seivom. Gentlemen, Commander Naomi Wildman," the Doctor smiled, gesturing to each person as he said their names.

The men bowed at their names and smiled warmly at Naomi. She smiled wearily in return, trying to catch the 'living daylights' that were just scared right out of her.

**--------**


	16. Chapter Fifteen Surviror's Guilt

**Chapter Fifteen--Survivor's Guilt**

**Ready-Room-1230**

"Enter," Tuvok said to the chime of his door.

"Captain, can I talk with you for a moment?" Carrie asked.

"Of course," he answered.

"Have you ever been afraid? . . . I mean, so afraid that you can't move?" Carrie asked.

He looked at her questionably but did not answer right away.

"Have you ever been so afraid that you wake in the night to nothing but the sound of your own fear; the sound of your lungs fighting for breath; and your heart beating to the sound of an off beat drum?"

"Yes, Carrie, I have."

"That's how I feel now," she said with a sick face.

"Me too," he said looking out of the view port and to the serene picture before him, feeling less comforted than usual.

**--------**

**Tom and B'Elanna's quarters-1230**

Tom sat in his favorite chair in his quarters. He looked out the view port to the scenery of Gheta. He had been outside; but between the repairs of the ship and the Ghetan's speaking volume, it was far too loud for his old ears.

He felt somewhat content in his quarters, but he could not relax. His thoughts were on his wife and his children. He could not stand the thought of them unconscious in Sickbay. He was glad Carrie and Eric were unaffected but he wondered how they were taking it. They saw half of their family, including one of their parents, in a coma for the same unknown reason. He wondered if they could ever recover from the shock.

Tom looked out the view port and missed the stars that he usually saw. He missed the stars whenever there was anew scenery. The starry view had become part of his home. He was almost glad that he would never see Earth again.

Tom couldn't bear the thought of looking out onto Earth and not a starry expanse. He was uncomfortable planets, he missed the artificial gravity. He always felt too hot under the real sun. Tom loved Voyager, he needed her to survive.

He loved B'Elanna too. He needed her even more.

**--------**

**Derek and Miral's quarters-1300**

"Orange to Grid Seven," Carrie her piece lazily.

"Are you even trying? Because I've got you in three moves," Jessica asked irritated.

"No, not really," Carrie sighed.

"Ugh!" Jessica groaned angrily. "I hate playing with you! Hey, Cass, come play with me!"

Cass pulled her head out of her book with a smile. She got up from her seat on the couch and sat down next to Carrie. Carrie stood and walked in a little circle before picking up a trinket from her mother's desk and fiddling with it.

"I just feel . . ." she drifted of in thought.

"Guilty?" Jessica prompted.

"Useless?" Cass offered.

"Both," Carrie dropped onto the couch, toying with the device she picked off Miral's desk. "What is this thing?" she asked herself, trying to focus on something other than her troubles. She looked puzzled as she investigated the object.

**--------**

**Astrometrics**

"Everyone is looking for you," Seven said walking in.

Eric sat on the raised platform looking at a large star map. "I left my COMM badge in my quarters."

"I know," she replied.

"How'd you find me?" he asked still looking at the screen.

Seven sat down next to him. "When you feel sad you look at the stars, but there are no stars outside, so you came here."

"What happened to them, Seven?" he asked her, looking up at her face.

"I don't know, but the Doctor will find out," she smiled comfortingly. "You don't need to be here, you need to be with your friends. If I learned one thing from humans, it is that companionship always makes them feel better," she looked up at the screen.

"Can you stay with me for a while?" he asked quietly.

She smiled and held his hand. "Of course, I will."

**--------**

**Sickbay-1234**

"Curious," Doctor Talen said in the Ghetan version of a whisper, or the human equivalent of a normal speaking voice. "It seems that what is causing this is coming from an outside source," he whispered.

"An air-borne virus, perhaps?" Seivom suggested quietly.

"Possibly," the Doctor answered. "Naomi, run a type-four environmental analysis specifying on atmosphere."

Naomi pressed a few buttons and watched the information come in on the screen. "Nitrogen, oxygen," she read off, unsurprised. She stopped there, "Doctor, look at this," she said pointing to the screen.

"Air-borne virus it is," the Doctor concluded from the compound Naomi pointed to.

Doctor Seivom was smiled at my his colleagues, obviously impressed with his deduction.

"Now we have to cure it," Naomi reminded them.

**--------**


	17. Chapter Sixteen Repairs

**Chapter Sixteen--Repairs**

**Jeffries Tube Alpha 8-Deck Thirteen-1314**

Vorik sighed and wiped the sweat from his brow. He had been working tirelessly all day. The starboard nacelle was now secure in its casing, but high warp was still a long way away.

Currently he was crawling through a Jeffries Tube attempting to restore main power to Deck Thirteen.

"Stevens to Vorik."

"Vorik here," he replied stopping for a breath.

"Commander, we are experiencing more EPS malfunctions on Deck Thirteen, Section 18," the young engineer said over the COMM.

"I am near there, I will repair them. Vorik out," Vorik added another thing to his long list in B'Elanna's absence.

**--------**

**Shield Junction 42-Deck Two-1318**

"Try it again!" Michael Ayala yelled back to his son.

Sparks flew and the relay in front of him blew.

"Shut it off!" he yelled, shielding his face from the sparks. He disconnected the relay and looked at it. "This one's fried. I'll have to get another. Call in Daniels, and she'll help you with the rest of them." Ayala stood, taking the relay with him.

**--------**

**Ready-Room-1430**

"Main power has been restored to all decks. Deck Thirteen is still have a few EPS problems, but Vorik is on them. Shields are mostly functioning, but at low strength. Mike says he has to individually charge about half of the emitters and that will take about three hours.

"Luckily, the Ghetans had a material that helped us secure the starboard nacelle permanently. Although, high warp is still a long ways away.

"Most of the hull breaches are sealed and reinforced, including the breach in the Turbo shaft, and all of Deck Four. Internal sensors are operational, but on the fritz. Short Range, Long Range, and Astrometric sensors are scheduled to be operational in the next two hours.

"And the torpedo sticking out of the wall in Deck Twelve has been removed.

"All in all, the repairs are going well. The Ghetans are a big help."

"Very good. How are the patients in Sickbay?"

"The Doctor requested Ghetan assistance and three Doctors, Talen, Kohmar, and Seivom responded. They did discover that there was an air-borne virus, but it has disappeared from the atmosphere and the rest of the crew is not in need of worry. They are still working on a cure," Tom answered, sounding weary.

"How do you feel, Commander?"

"Me, Tuvok?" Tom sighed. "I feel useless."

Tuvok stood and rounded his desk. "Mr. Paris, you are many things and none of them is 'useless'." Tom smiled.

**--------**

**Derek and Miral's quarters-1431**

Jessica and Cass were long since gone. Carrie still sat on her couch looking at the small object. "What is this?" she asked herself for the thousandth time; no longer thing of her family's troubles. Carrie had had enough of trying to figure out what it was. She pressed the small button on the side that made it flash and stuck it to the almost empty coffee mug on the table, left there by her mother.

She saw it transport away, leaving a small amount of coffee behind on the table.

Carrie's mouth dropped and eyes widened. "Computer, where was that cup transported to?"

"Sickbay."

Carrie bolted off the couch and ran to Sickbay.

**--------**

**Sickbay-1432**

"What's this?" the Doctor asked, picking up and empty mug off his floor.

Naomi shrugged.

**---------**


	18. Chapter Seventeen Father Daughter

**Chapter Seventeen--Father/Daughter**

**Derek and Miral's quarters-1446**

"You did what?" Derek asked loudly.

"I put it on a mug and it was transported to Sickbay," Carrie answered meekly.

"Carrie, Carrie, Carrie," Derek rubbed one of his temples. "Carrie, you can't touch anything on your mother's desk or mine," he said sounding as if in pain. "Carrie, you could have been hurt. That device could have transported only YOUR SKIN!"

"I'm not stupid enough to put it on me," Carrie replied indignantly.

"Don't use that tone with me! Anything could have happened!" Derek shot back.

"Fine," she said in surrender. "I won't touch anything again."

Derek smiled at his daughter. "That's a good girl. Now get ready for class. You have calculus in fifteen minutes, and you're not going to be late."

Carrie stood, kissed her father on the cheek and went into her bedroom to grab her backpack. She turned at her door. "You might want add another adhesive sensor to secure a lock." She turned back and continued to her bedroom.

Derek thought for a moment before returning to his desk. He turned his computer on and looked at the picture frame on his desk. "You must be proud of her," he whispered to the picture of his wife.

**--------**

**Year: 2430**

**Benjamin and Carrie's Quarters (Chakotay's Former Quarters)**

Benjamin stroked his dark, thick, beard. "Carrie, I don't know if we conceal this any longer."

The young woman with the yellow shoulders and short black hair sighed. She sank into the chair near her. "I don't think we can either. My father has been Captain for some time now, and he has too much experience to not know what is going on."

Benjamin crouched to eye-level of his wife. He smiled at her and she gripped his hand. "He's going to find out whether we tell him or not."

"You're right. He's my father, I'll tell him."

He smiled at her, as she stared into his soothing green eyes.

--------

"Dad?" Carrie called as she walked into her father's quarters. "Daddy?"

"Hello Sweet-Heart," Derek responded walking out of his bathroom, wiping the remains of shaving cream off of his face.

She kissed her father on the cheek. "I have something to tell you. Sit down," she gestured to the couch. "You know that Benjamin and I have been married for five months know . . . and I love him very much." Carrie smiled. "And now we're going to have a baby."

A smile covered Derek's face as he stood to embrace his daughter. He felt relieved about what she said, he thought what she was going to say was going to be bad. Derek briefly recalled when Miral told Tom about Carrie. Derek smiled at the memory of his wife.

**--------**

**Year: 2418**

**Sickbay-1523**

"So she's been touching your things again?" the Doctor asked Derek, who had come to apologize.

"Yes, I scolded her a bit, but I suppose I was more worried than angry," Derek answered truthfully.

"That is understandable. Humans are always concerned when their children are involved."

"She could have been killed!" Derek exclaimed.

"You and I both know that isn't true," the Doctor said in a soft voice.

Derek looked questionably at the holo-gram.

"It's purely scientific. The combination of your genetic material and Miral's, even factoring recessive and codominant genes, creates a very strong-willed, courageous, intelligent being. That combined with environment and expression, guarantees a certain amount of reassurance for you. You can always be sure that she will make the right intelligent decision." The Doctor smiled at his reasoning.

Derek considered this for a moment. "Thanks Doc," Derek turned to leave, taking one more look at his wife before he walked out the door.

"It's all science," the Doctor muttered to himself.

**--------**

**Delegation Plaza-surface of Gheta-1724**

Carrie inhaled the clean, un-recycled air of Gheta. "It certainly is serene here, isn't it?" Carrie asked Jessica.

Carrie lie on the ground looking up at the bright sky, Jessica sat by the small pond as she watched the little fish around her submerged feet. Benjamin was near-by doing a Katarian Martial Art. Jared and Cass playfully climbed the trees and James was writing a story, next to a tree.

"Quite serene," Jessica agreed. "But you still didn't answer my question."

"He scolded me a little, but he let it go. Especially after I told him out to fix the problem."

"Smooth," Jared interjected. "I wish I could get away with something like that."

"You're not smart enough to," Cass teased.

Jared lunged at her from another branch. Cass agilely avoided him, laughing.

"Ben, why don't you tease me like that?" James joked. "It'd be such a great moment."

"Because, I wouldn't tease. I'd state facts."

Carrie and Jessica laughed. "Is that good enough for you, James?"

James frowned for a minute, but shrugged it off.

**--------**

**Sickbay-**

"Look! Doctor, come here! Look at this!" Naomi pointed excitedly to the screen in front of her.

"That's it!" the Doctor announced triumphantly.

**--------**


	19. Chapter Eighteen The Cure

**Chapter Eighteen--The Cure**

**Briefing Room-1745**

Tom stood from his chair. "When can you revive them?"

"In about an hour," the Doctor replied calmly.

"Do you know the cause?" Tuvok asked.

"All I know is that something they inhaled got into their blood streams and that 'told' their brains to shut its higher functions down. I believe the compound cane the torpedo that was lodged in Deck Twelve. I do know keep them conscious," the Doctor smiled.

"Proceed, Doctor. Dismissed."

Tom, Lucille, and Derek stood and followed the Doctor and Naomi to Sickbay.

**--------**

**Sickbay-1845**

"Ready, Naomi?"

"Ready, Doctor," she replied monitoring the three patients vitals.

"Tom, Derek, Lu, ready to go?"

They all smiled weakly. "As ready as we'll ever be," Tom answered for his family.

"Forty-four c.c.'s of therominazine," the Doctor picked up a hypospray. He injected B'Elanna, who had been elected to go first, she would've wanted to be the guinea pig.

An alarm sounded. "Doctor, we're loosing her! Heart-rate's plunging!"

"Setting the charges!" Tom yelled getting some instruments.

"Wait!" Naomi yelled. "She's leveling," Naomi said puzzled.

Tom looked at her face. She saw an eyelash flutter. "Doctor! Doctor look!"

The Doctor rushed over and looked at B'Elanna and saw the flutter.

"It's working," Tom said gripping B'Elanna's hand.

"Let go of me, you pig," B'Elanna mumbled.

The Doctor smiled and injected Miral and Owen. As their heart-rates dropped and leveled, B'Elanna woke up.

"B'Elanna," Tom hugged her. He smiled, and kissed her.

Lu and Derek's reactions were similar.

**--------**


	20. Chapter Nineteen Once More

**Chapter Nineteen--Once More into the Breach**

**Bridge-1852**

"Sir, I'm reading four KarTech vessels approaching the planet! The Ghetans are launching their fleet!"

"Have everyone report back to the ship. Tuvok to all hands. Prepare for emergency ascent, report to battle stations."

**--------**

**Sickbay-1852**

"Commander Torres! Sit down!" the Doctor shouted at B'Elanna, standing between her and the door.

"When I wake up, I am cranky! And when I'm cranky, you don't want to get in my way!" she growled.

"No you don't," Miral and Owen mumbled from their bio-beds, still feeling nauseous.

The Doctor stood his ground. B'Elanna turned and went to a console.

"What are you doing?" the Doctor followed her.

"Decompiling your program," B'Elanna replied.

"Have a nice day, B'Elanna," the Doctor smiled in submission.

B'Elanna walked out the door with a smile and Tom followed her out. Tom called the Turbo Lift and they stepped inside. "Engineering. I missed you," Tom smiled.

She kissed him on the cheek as the doors opened. She walked into the busy Engineering.

"Engineering, are we go for ascent?" Tuvok's voice asked over the COMM.

"We're ready to go Bridge," B'Elanna announced.

"Commander, it is agreeable to see you on your feet," Vorik said as B'Elanna walked in.

**--------**

**Bridge**

The ship shook as it rose. Tom took Voyager up as fast as the old starship would allow.

"Four KarTech Battle Cruisers dropping out of warp!" Ayala announced.

"Red Alert!" Tom yelled. "We're almost out of the atmosphere. Evasive maneuvers Paris2"

The Ghetan ships ran their own evasive maneuver patterns as the massive cruisers violently attacked Voyager grossly ignoring the smaller Ghetan vessels.

"Mr. Ayala, coordinate our attack with the Ghetan tactical officers," Tuvok orderd.

Voyager fired at the lead ship as the Ghetans fired on the others.

"The Lead Cruiser has been destroyed! Concentrating on the strongest vessel!"

"Bridge area shield are failing!" Harry warned.

"Keep our art to the KarTech! Rotate the shields!"

"Incoming fire!" Harry yelled as there were explosions on the roof of the Bridge.

Tuvok dropped to the ground. Tom looked back and saw Tuvok now breathing. "Fire everyting we've got! Harry, beam Tuvok to Sickbay!"

"I can't! Transporters are down! Two more cruisers destroyed and the last is retreating!" Harry yelled.

Tom set the auto-pilot into orbit and ran to Tuvok. "He's dead!" Tom yelled in anger.

Derek appeared on the Bridge from the Turbo Lift. "The Emergency Transport Device!"

"Do it," Tom told him.

Derek pushed the button and the device flashed. He put it on Tuvok and he disappeared.

"Paris to Sickbay, is Tuvok there?"

A grave voice answered. "Yes, but he's dead, and there's nothing I can do."

**--------**

**Derek and Miral's Quarters-2006**

"At least it worked, Daddy," Carrie tried to cheer her father up.

"What if he wasn't brain dead and it jumbled his brain?" Derek asked as a rhetorical question.

"It wasn't your fault. It wasn't anyone's fault. Now we just have to keep an eye on Grandpa, 'cause you and I both know he isn't ready for this." She smiled.

Derek smiled and hugged his daughter.

**--------**


	21. Chapter Twenty Connections

**Chapter Twenty--Connections**

**Year: 2426**

"You can't give me orders," B'Elanna said spitefully.

"I can, First Officer," Harry replied.

"I gave it to you."

"Ha! You gave it to me?"

"I could have stayed on the Bridge with my husband, or stay in Engineering with Vorik. What do you think?"

"That Vorik is a better conversationalist than he leads on."

"Shut up."

**--------**

**Year: 2432**

**Briefing Room**

"Anything out there of note?" Derek asked the senior staff.

"Nothing, ever since the KarTech retreated at Gheta, we haven't had any big problems," Jason Ayala answered him.

"That's always a relief."

**--------**


	22. Chapter Twenty One Final Good Byes

**Chapter Twenty-One--Final Good-byes**

**Year: 2418**

"Captain Tuvok was one of the best men I have ever known. He was brave, strong and true. For five years he bravely ked us to victory against this harsh quadrant, and gratefully kept me from the Captain's chair.

"And now, we have to say good-bye, prematurely.

"Tuvok went before his time. He was far too young to be taken from us, and now we must try to live on without him."

Tom whispered to his long time friend, "Peace, my friend."

--------


End file.
